2. What is Cultural
Diversity? Reading 1
What is Cultural Diversity? = Quiz - Portfolio Exercise #2 |
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Cultural Diversity is a fact The World has some 6000 communities and as many distinct languages. Such difference naturally leads to diversity of vision, values, beliefs, practice and expression, which all deserve equal respect and dignity.
Cultural Diversity
is our everyday reality
The international migration rate is growing fast
every year. According to the “International Migration Report 2002” of the
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the number of
migrants has doubled since the 1970s. The report also says that around 175
million persons are residing away from the country of their birth and one in every 10 persons in the
developed regions is a migrant. Also, more migrants are coming from
countries ever farther away. While the reasons for migration vary (economic,
political, personal choice …) , one thing is sure: we live in an increasingly heterogeneous
society.
Cultural Diversity reflects the respect of
fundamental rights
Culture
is a set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional
features of society or a social group. It encompasses, in addition to art and
literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, values systems, traditions
and beliefs. Respecting
and safeguarding culture is a matter of Human Rights. Cultural Diversity
presupposes respect of fundamental freedoms, namely freedom of thought,
conscience and religion, freedom of opinion and expression, and freedom to
participate in the cultural life of one's choice.
Cultural Diversity is our collective
strength
The Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable
Development (September 2002) acknowledges that our rich diversity, which is
our collective strength, should be used to ensure sustainable development
(par. 16). Cultural
Diversity, indeed, is not just a natural fact that we need simply
recognize and respect. It is about plurality of knowledge, wisdom and energy
which all contribute to improving and moving the World forward.
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Cultural
diversity
From Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia
Cultural diversity is the quality of
diverse or different cultures, as opposed to monoculture, as in the global
monoculture, or a homogenization of cultures, akin to cultural decay. For
example, before Hawaii was conquered by Europeans, the culturally diverse
Hawaiian culture existed in the world, and contributed to the world's cultural
diversity. Now Hawaii has been westernized; the vast majority of its culture
has been replaced with Western or American culture. The phrase cultural
diversity can also refer to having different cultures respect each other's
differences.[citation
needed] The phrase cultural
diversity is sometime misused to mean the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a
whole; but these phenomenon are multiculturalism rather than cultural
diversity. The culturally
destructive action of globalization is often said to have a negative effect on
the world's cultural diversity.
The many separate societies that emerged around the globe
differed markedly from each other, and many of these differences persist to
this day. As well as the more obvious cultural differences that exist between people, such as language, dress and
traditions, there are also significant variations in the way societies organize
themselves, in their shared conception of morality, and in the ways they interact with their
environment. Cultural
diversity can be seen as analogous to biodiversity.[1]
What is Cultural
Diversity? http://www.ethnoconnect.com/html/articles_01.html
What is cultural diversity? Diversity
is nothing more than a difference from the majority. In any culture there is a majority and many minorities.
Culture is a set of norms that set standards for a society of what is
acceptable behavior.
In every culture there are basic standards for
social interaction such as personal space distance, eye contact, amount of body
language displayed in public, negotiating style, etc. In America, we
stand about eighteen inches apart when engaged in normal conversation; prefer
very direct eye contact; are pretty demonstrative with body language and negotiate
very directly always asking the other party for their “bottom line”. In
other cultures they may stand closer or farther than we are comfortable, may
view direct eye contact as rude, be more or less open to displaying body
language and negotiate more indirectly.
In
America, many of us have a peculiar habit of assuming that those who differ
from our norms are wrong. We tend to view the world from a rather myopic
view leading to those outside this country calling us “Ugly Americans”.
Cultural
diversity makes our country richer by making it a more interesting place in
which to live. Just think how
boring a meal would be without Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, German,
French or Indian food!
Cultural
diversity also makes our country stronger and better able to compete in the new
global economy. People from
diverse cultures bring language skills, new ways of thinking, creative
solutions to difficult problems and negotiating skills.
In the
past, ethnographers in the United States used to refer to our country as a melting
pot where new immigrants would eventually be fully integrated into the
American culture. This has obviously not happened so modern researchers
have not begun to talk about America as a garden salad where different
cultural diversity mixes with the European American culture to form a meal
where all of the various ingredients are still readily identifiable.
Cultural diversity makes the United States a
much more interesting place in which to live for all of its inhabitants.
If we all thought alike imagine how boring the world would be!
What is Cultural
Diversity? http://www.mylearning.org/jpage.asp?jpageid=2022&journeyid=441
The phrase 'Cultural Diversity' means a
range of different societies or peoples with different origins, religions and
traditions all living and interacting together. Britain has benefited from
diversity throughout its long history and is currently one of the most
culturally diverse countries in the world!
The food we eat, the music we listen to, and
the clothes we wear have all been influenced by different cultures coming into
Britain. Ethnic food, for example, is part of an average British diet. One of
Britain's favourite dishes is Indian Curry. Britons have enjoyed Curry for a
surprisingly long time- the first curry on a menu was in 1773!
Even English is based on the languages spoken
by Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavian Vikings and Norman French invaders, with words
added from the languages of other immigrants over the years!
Valuing Our Cultural
Diversity
In Britain today there is an estimated 'ethnic
minority' population of just over 4 million. We live in a country rich in
cultural heritage; but the value in this diversity is sometimes not fully
seen.
Valuing our diverse
culture in Britain today is all about understanding and respecting other
peoples beliefs and ways of life (as we would expect someone to respect ours).
It is about supporting individuals in keeping their cultural traditions alive
and appreciating the fact that all these different cultural traditions will
enrich British life both today and in the future.
cultural diversity
noun
1. the cultural
variety and cultural differences that exist in the world, a society, or an
institution: Dying languages and urbanization are threats to cultural
diversity.
2. the inclusion of
diverse people in a group or organization: to embrace cultural diversity in the
workplace.
Dictionary.com
Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To cultural
diversity
Dictionary.com's 21st
Century Lexicon
Main Entry:
|
cultural diversity
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Part of Speech:
|
n
|
Definition:
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ethnic, gender,
racial, and socioeconomic variety in a situation, institution, or group; the
coexistence of different ethnic, gender, racial, and socioeconomic groups
within one social unit
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What
is Cultural Diversity?
Diversity should be understood as being a fact
of our societies, both historically and contemporarily. At school, at work, in
everyday life we come across Cultural Diversity.
When we speak about Cultural Diversity, what
do we think of it? What comes to mind? What doesn't it include?
Culture,
Religion, Ethnicity, Language, Nationality, Sexual Orientation, Class, Gender,
Age, Disability, Dialogue, Tolerance, Interaction, Equality, Difference,
Racism, Intolerance, Discrimination, Prejudice, Xenophobia, and even more
things.
2. Introduction to Diversity / Portfolio Exercise #1
Think!
·
Who
lives in the UAE?
·
How
many Emiratis are there?
·
What
other nationalities and culturally diverse groups are there?
·
Do
you know any population statistics? (For the UAE, for the separate Emirates?)
Task 1
With a partner, research on the internet
to find information about UAE demographics.
Nationality
|
Percentage/Number
|
Year
|
Source
|
Ex: Other Arab
/ Iranian
|
23%
|
2013
|
CIA Factbook
|
Religions
|
Percentage
|
Year
|
Source
|
Do the results surprise you?
Comments? Conclusions?
Task 2
Give examples of cultural
diversity in Abu Dhabi (Places of worship, organizations, etc.)
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